Charles Dickens' novel on desire, guilt, unrequited love and moral redemption was published in three volumes in 1861. Dickens tells the story of Pip, an orphan in 19th-century England, who rises from humble beginnings to become a "young fellow of great expectations" coming as he does to an expected fortune from a mysterious benefactor.
Pip's love for Estella, the beautiful adopted daughter of wealthy, eccentric Miss Havisham, is a love unrequited, affection unreturned. In Great Expectations Pip disavows his humble origins, his family and friends in a bid to become a gentleman and win Estella. But he faces rejection from Estella in every step.
Dickens Quotes on Love
Dickens quotes on unrequited love and rejection are from the second volume of Great Expectations:
- I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.
- It was impossible for me to separate her, in the past or in the present, from the innermost life of my life.
- I, trembling in spirit and worshipping the very hem of her dress; she, quite composed and most decidedly not worshipping the hem of mine.
- The air of completeness and superiority with which she walked at my side, and the air of youthfulness and submission with which I walked at hers, made a contrast that I strongly felt.
- I verily believe that her not remembering and not minding in the least, made me cry again, inwardly – and that is the sharpest crying of all.
- You must know that I have no heart – if that has anything to do with my memory. (Estella to Pip)
- I have not bestowed my tenderness anywhere. I have never had any such things. (Estella to Pip)
- The air of inaccessibility which her beauty and her manner gave her, tormented me in the midst of my delight.
- Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces – and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper – lover her, love her, love her! (Miss Havisham to Pip about Estella)
- I’ll tell you what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter. (Miss Havisham to Pip)
- Whatever her tone with me happened to be, I could put no trust in it, and build no hope on it; and yet I went on against trust and against hope.
- She made use of me to tease other admirers, and she turned the very familiarity between herself and me, to the account of putting a constant slight of my devotion to her.
- I never had one hour’s happiness in her society, and yet my mind all round the four-and-twenty hours was harping on the happiness of having her with me unto death.
Jealous of one Estella's admirers Pip complains: "He has been hovering about you all night" and Estella responds: "Moths and all sorts of ugly creatures hover about a lighted candle. Can the candle help it?" Dickens quotes on love, unrequited love and rejection are taken from the Penguin Classics edition of Great Expectations, 2008. For more Dickens quotes see Life Quotations from the first volume of Great Expectations; and from the A Christmas Carol.
Lito Apostolakou - Lito is a historian with an interest in digital archives and online historical resources. She is the author of blog Palimpsest.
